A Pleasing Temptation

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  * * *

  An hour later Kamaya had shed her last tear. Paxton’s personal possessions had all been packed up, moved out of his office and handed over to a delivery service to be dropped off at his home address. She’d gotten a report from the attorneys and she knew that Paxton had signed the papers that legally terminated their business arrangement.

  She would miss her friend, she thought, but she knew it was past time to weed out what had become toxic in her life and let it all go. A knock on her office door drew her attention. She looked up just as Wesley poked his head through the entrance.

  “Is this a good time?” he asked.

  Kamaya smiled, moving onto her feet. “It’s always a good time for you,” she said. She moved around the desk to meet him, throwing herself into his arms.

  “It’s going to be okay,” he whispered softly. As she clung to him, her tears returned.

  “I didn’t even get a chance to try and talk him out of it,” she said. “He brought Laney and there was no talking any sense to him.”

  Wesley nodded. “Maybe that’s why he brought her. Maybe he didn’t want you to try and talk him out of it,” he said.

  She pondered his comment briefly.

  “So, did you give my proposition any more thought?” she asked.

  Wesley nodded. “I did and I admit it. I like the idea. It has potential.”

  She rolled her eyes. “It’s perfect.”

  “I don’t know about all that, now!” he teased, as he leaned in to kiss her lips.

  During their late-night conversation Kamaya had broached the subject of him partnering with her in business as well as personally. He’d been receptive to the idea and they’d both agreed to sit down with their legal teams to hammer out an agreement that would work for them both. Wesley had only wanted to insure that he be allowed to bring the necessary capital to the table so that no one could accuse him of trying to take advantage of her.

  When she had called to tell him about her encounter with Paxton, he’d heard the sadness that had weighed heavily in her tone. Wanting to wipe away that dejection had been foremost in his mind as he’d crossed town to get to her.

  “Do you really want this, Kamaya?” he questioned, staring down at her. “If you’re not ready, I need you to say so,” he whispered.

  Kamaya blessed him with the prettiest smile. She responded by pulling him to her, her mouth dancing the sweetest two-step against his. “I want this more than I want anything else,” she said, whispering the words over his tongue.

  Wesley wrapped himself around her as he hugged her even closer. “Then let’s go do this,” he said. “Because I really want you to be my wife.”

  * * *

  Shortly after noon, Wesley and Kamaya stood before Reverend Tony Talevera in the French Quarter Wedding Chapel and exchanged their wedding vows. The ceremony was over in under twenty minutes. Maitlyn stood up for her sister and Kendrick arrived just in time to be Wesley’s best man. His parents and hers were also there to celebrate with them.

  Kamaya couldn’t hold back her tears when Wesley pulled the most gorgeous ring from his pocket. A two-carat diamond was encircled by a row of high quality, French-cut, Colombian emeralds. The emeralds were surrounded by a row of round diamonds. It was stunning and sheer perfection, and everything about it screamed her name. It couldn’t have been more perfect if she had picked it out for herself.

  When she cried, the other women cried with her. When it was all said and done, Kamaya’s only regret was agreeing to let her mother host a reception for them weeks later, when all of her family and their friends could fly in to be there. Now, she just wanted to enjoy the beauty of being married to the most incredible man in the world. She had no need of the fanfare, and Wesley only wanted what she wanted.

  After a quick champagne toast and ten minutes of good wishes from her mother and his, they headed back to the office, work pulling them both back to what they loved almost as much as they loved each other.

  * * *

  Wesley nuzzled his face in her hair. They had been home for a while, both unwinding after another very long day. His parents had left right after the ceremony and they were both grateful for the quiet. Their dinner conversation had been a discussion of more plans and future promises. Laughter had been abundant and the wealth of joy between them had been magnanimous.

  After a dinner of baked chicken and salad, and quick showers to rinse away the day, they lay together in front of the gas fireplace trading easy caresses.

  “Are you happy, Wesley?” Kamaya asked, her body folded against his. Wesley responded by pulling her to him, his mouth gliding like silk against hers. He took a deep breath, inhaling her scent. He ran the tip of his nose up and down the side of Kamaya’s neck, then did the same with his lips and then his fingers. Goose bumps rose against Kamaya’s damp skin as he teased her feminine spirit. His kisses became more and more intense as he gently sucked on her neck, his teeth lightly grazing her throat until the tiniest marks began to rise on her flesh. She was his and he had marked her, possessively staking his territory.

  Kamaya gasped, air catching in her chest as she began to grind her pelvis against the rigid hardness rising like a phoenix between his legs. She reached her hands around his torso and raked her nails down the length of his back. It was the sweetest pleasure and most delightful pain and he arched his back as a wave of electricity coursed up the length of his spine. Continuing her trek, her hands snaked down to the firm globes of his behind, squeezing and kneading the taut flesh.

  Her touch was intense, and every muscle in Wesley’s body ached with wanting her. He lifted his body from hers and moved to the dresser and the toiletry bag that rested atop the surface. He pulled a condom from the side pocket of the leather case and tore the cellophane pack open with his teeth. Moving back to the bed he handed the prophylactic to Kamaya who rolled the rubber over his protruding member. Dropping his body back down against hers, Wesley drew a slow path against her skin as he kissed her stomach, sinking his tongue into the deep well of her belly button.

  She was gyrating unabashedly as he kissed his way back to her breasts, suckling one and then the other, then biting the skin beneath her chin, until he reached her mouth and kissed her. His tongue darted back and forth with hers. She gasped as he eased himself between her thighs, using his knees and body to pry her legs open. Kamaya gasped loudly, calling his name over and over again as he eased himself into her, dropping himself deep into her most sacred place. Wesley pressed his mouth back to hers. “I love you, Mrs. Walters,” he whispered against her lips. “I love you.”

  Tears misted Kamaya’s eyes. There was no need for words, the emotion caught deep in the wealth of energy that filled her spirit. She choked back the sobs that obstructed her voice. She loved him. More than she’d ever imagined possible. She loved him and every fiber of her being wanted to tell him, and so she answered him with her tongue, and her touch, and the easy caress of her body against his.

  Wesley slowly eased the length of himself into and out of her. Moisture dripped past his thick lashes, mingling with the tears that streamed over Kamaya’s cheeks. The moment was surreal, the magnitude of the experience sweeping sensations through them that neither had ever experienced before. The temptation was pleasing as his mouth locked to hers, his breath kissing her breath. Kamaya lifted her hips and welcomed Wesley home. It was ecstasy and the Promised Land and Eden, promising them both more than either could ever again want. It was bliss.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from NIGHTS OF FANTASY by Sherelle Green.

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  Nights of Fantasy

  by Sherelle Green

  Prologue

  Six months ago...

  “If you want me to leave with you, you’ll have to kiss me first.”

  Jaleen Walker glanced at his friends before setting his eyes on the woman who was making it extremely difficult to keep his distance. He’d arrived at the bar ten minutes prior, along with the other men celebrating his friend Aiden’s bachelor party.

  When Aiden Chase had received a call from his soon-to-be wife, Summer Dupree, Jaleen’d watched Aiden’s face turn from excitement to concern when he learned his fiancée had had one too many fruity drinks. It had only taken a minute for Aiden to announce that he wanted to crash Summer’s bachelorette party.

  Since Summer was like a little sister to Jaleen, he hadn’t argued with Aiden and had quickly informed the guys that the bachelor party was about to become coed. Jaleen hadn’t even known Aiden for an entire year, but the two had immediately hit it off when Summer had taken him to a holiday celebration last year.

  Summer and Aiden were getting married in less than forty-eight hours and Jaleen couldn’t be happier for the both of them. It seemed like all of his friends were tying the knot and he’d been to more pre-and postwedding celebrations over the past few years than he could count.

  Now that the men had arrived at the chic Miami lounge, they learned that Summer wasn’t the only one tipsy. Most of the women appeared to be feeling a buzz and dancing as if they didn’t have to get up in the morning for rehearsal. Reacting quickly, each husband, fiancé or boyfriend went to their significant other to join them on the dance floor, leaving only those unattached to watch the scene unfold.

  “I’ll be right back,” Jaleen said to Danni, ignoring the way her lips curled into the perfect pout.

  Jaleen looked at the remaining men and motioned for them to group together. “Maybe we should get all the women some water,” he suggested to his friend Luke, Aiden’s friend Dax, Summer’s cousin Malakai and a few others. “Then I’ll ask Aiden and the others if they need help getting any of the other ladies back to the hotel. But, fellas, let’s remember that these women are friends with Aiden and Summer, so we have to act respectfully.”

  “Agreed,” Dax said as the other men nodded their heads. “I think I have a bottle of aspirin in my rental car, so I’ll grab that, too.”

  Jaleen glanced at Malakai, both men knowing that the statement was made for the men who weren’t either family or like family to the happy couple. They didn’t have to worry about Luke and Dax because both were stand-up men.

  Once they’d gotten the bottles of water and aspirin ready for the women, they returned to the group. Jaleen almost laughed at the way Luke and Dax made a beeline for two of Summer’s friends and business associates, Nicole LeBlanc and Aaliyah Bai.

  “They are so predictable,” Malakai said, shaking his head. “I assume you’re going to find Danni?”

  Jaleen didn’t have to respond because Malakai was already heading over to the other men to assist with a couple of Summer’s high school friends. It was well-known news that although Jaleen and Danni were constantly bickering, they had a close friendship. He wouldn’t be surprised if bets were going around the group that they’d be the next pair to start dating. But Jaleen knew that could never happen. He wasn’t exactly a one-woman type of man. Although he never dated more than one woman at the same time, he had a reputation for not allowing a woman to make it past the one-month mark.

  Jaleen glanced around the VIP area and dance floor, finally finding Danni in the corner of the lounge. As he approached, he tried to ignore the soft sway of her hips as she moved to the beat of the music. She looks beautiful. All the women were wearing teal dresses while Summer was in all white. Despite the fact that the dresses were each similar in style, it was Danni’s teal formfitting dress that had his undivided attention.

  “There you are,” he said when he’d reached her. “Why are you all the way over here?”

  “Because I knew you would find me.” Her eyes sparkled with interest. “And I didn’t want all our friends to see when you kissed me.”

  Jaleen ran a hand down his face. She’s not going to make this easy. He couldn’t even remember how long he’d waited to finally feel how soft Danni’s lips were. However, he wanted her to be fully conscious of her decisions when he kissed her. She wasn’t sober, which meant he had to keep his lips to himself.

  He glanced down at the glass she was holding. “Danni, I don’t think you mean that,” he said, reaching for her drink. “How about we trade this drink out for a bottled water?” She accepted the water and took a nice long sip. He tried not to watch the way her lips curled around the bottle, but he failed.

  “I do mean it,” Danni said as she closed the distance. “The only way I’m leaving this bar is if you kiss me like I’ve seen you kiss so many other women.”

  Jaleen winced at the comment despite how true it was. “I do want to kiss you, but how about I kiss you tomorrow night instead?”

  She tilted her head as if trying to decide if she could trust to him or not. “Hmm, okay, that might work. As long as you actually kiss me so that I can mark you off my list.”

  Jaleen raised one eyebrow. “And what list might that be?”

  “My special list that I made on my birthday,” she said with a cheesy grin. “My ‘Thirty Things To Do Before I’m Thirty’ list.”

  Jaleen did a quick mental calculation. She’d just had a birthday, so he assumed she hadn’t gotten far on the list.

  “You’re on it more than once,” she said in almost a whisper.

  When she ran her fingers down the collar of his shirt, he made no effort to stop her. A special list. It sounded like a bucket list of sorts and he knew Danni was big on lists. She was the only woman he knew who didn’t just make a grocery or chores list, but rather a list to remind her she’d created a list for groceries and chores. He often teased her about being overprepared, but she denied it each and every time.

  She rested one hand on his chest, moving her fingers in a small, circular motion. Her touch was innocent, but his thoughts definitely weren’t.

  “I think we need to get you back to the hotel,” he said as he searched for their friends. He noticed that the others in their group seemed to be preparing to leave, as well.

  “Did the ladies drive?” Jaleen asked Aiden as he approached him and Summer.

  “No, we had a driver,” Danni answered instead. “But I sent him away since I figured we could walk back.”

  The hotel wasn’t that far from the lounge, but tugging along ten tip
sy women wearing heels seemed like too much work.

  “Let’s head back,” Aiden said with a whistle as he twirled a finger in the air. The group started filing out of the lounge toward the parking lot. Aiden, Summer and Danni hopped into Jaleen’s car while everyone else divided into the other four cars.

  “I want to sit with Summer,” Danni said as she pulled Summer to the back of the car, leaving Aiden to sit in the front with Jaleen.

  “Well, this isn’t exactly how I thought your bachelor party would end,” Jaleen said with a laugh as he pulled out of the parking lot.

  “Tonight with you and the guys was a lot of fun.” Aiden glanced back at Summer. “But the fact that I get to spend the rest of the night making sure that beauty in the backseat doesn’t have a hangover isn’t a bad way to end the night, either.”

  The amount of love Jaleen heard in Aiden’s voice didn’t surprise him. If anything, it made him envious that he’d never get a chance to experience the type of love Aiden and Summer shared. His eyes caught Danni’s in the rearview mirror. What is it about Danni Allison? For years he’d wondered why the only woman who seemed to be immune to his charm was the same woman who was constantly on his mind.

  He supposed that’s the reason they’d developed an actual friendship. Although he still teased her any chance he got, he was well aware that Danni knew entirely too much about his dating history and, for that reason alone, he couldn’t even get her to agree to go on one date.

  After they arrived at the hotel and parked the cars, Aiden and Summer bid good-night to the group. The ladies all boarded the elevator a couple minutes later to head to their rooms, while the men went to the bar in the hotel lobby.

  Jaleen had just sat at the bar when Luke nodded his head toward the front of the lobby. Jaleen followed his gaze.

  Danni was standing near the hotel entrance with her clutch in her hand.

  I could have sworn she just got on the elevator.